Battery with flexible omnidirectional leads

ABSTRACT

A battery comprising a battery element housed between a battery cover and a back plate, wherein the battery element, battery cover, and back plate have a slight curvature or contour adapted to conform to a curvature or a contour of a load-bearing platform. Further, the battery comprises flexible omnidirectional leads.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to and claims priority from the followingU.S. patents and patent applications: this application is a continuationof U.S. application Ser. No. 15/836,259, filed Dec. 8, 2017, which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/720,270 filed Sep.29, 2017, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No.14/520,821 filed Oct. 22, 2014. U.S. application Ser. No. 15/720,270 isalso a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/664,776,filed Jul. 31, 2017, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. applicationSer. No. 15/470,382, filed Mar. 27, 2017, which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/516,127, filed Oct.16, 2014. Each of the U.S. Applications mentioned above is incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to portable equipment formilitary, law enforcement, aviation, personal survival, hiking,sporting, recreation, hunting, water sports, and camping applicationsand, more particularly, to a portable battery pack comprising a batteryenclosed by a wearable and replaceable pouch or skin.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Portable power sources are used in, for example, military applications,law enforcement applications, aviation applications, wilderness andpersonal survival applications, hiking and camping applications,sporting and recreation applications, hunting applications, landsurveying and expedition applications, and disaster relief efforts. Forexample, portable battery packs exist for carrying in a backpack or forwearing on the body. These battery packs, however, can be heavy andinconvenient to access and connect to devices requiring electricalpower. Further, some applications require that the appearance of thebattery pack blend with the environment in which they are used. Currentbattery packs, however, might not offer flexibility of appearance or theconsumer is forced to buy one battery pack for one environment and adifferent battery pack for a different environment.

Prior art patent documents include the following:

U.S. Pat. No. 2,501,725 for instrument structure for portable testingvoltmeters by inventor Knopp, filed Apr. 9, 1945 and issued Mar. 28,1950, is directed to portable electric voltage testers and moreparticularly in the instruments used in such testers; for indicating thevalues of alternating and direct current voltages, and the polarity ofunidirectional current circuits tested; the presence or absence ofelectrical energy on metallic parts in the vicinity of electrical energysources; etc.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,662 for emergency battery system with an infiniteshelf life by inventor McCarter, filed Jan. 15, 1993 and issued Aug. 23,1994, is directed to an emergency battery system having an infiniteshelf life, comprising a first primary reserve, water-activated batterythat can be connected directly to an emergency appliance to providevoltage therein once activated, that can be connected to aself-contained, rechargeable battery utilized with the water-activatedbattery and stored for long periods of time to provide charge to therechargeable battery, which itself can then be connected to anelectrical emergency appliance, or the water-activated battery isconnected to a power conversion circuit that can provide a variety ofvoltages to emergency electrical appliances that already have their ownself-contained, rechargeable batteries. The emergency battery systemdescribed can be used to power emergency appliances, such as lights,lanterns, emergency radios, or DC-powered telephones. As long as thewater-activated battery is kept free of moisture or water, the shelflife is virtually infinite.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,022 for enclosed battery holder by inventor Huang,filed Aug. 22, 1995 and issued Jul. 16, 1996, is directed to an enclosedbattery charger including a seat, a cover, and a conductive metal platemeans. The seat is provided with a partition which has one end thereofextending upwardly to form a partition rib for preventing contact of twoconductive metal plates. A front wall of the seat is provided with aninverted-L shaped hook piece, and a rear wall of the seat is providedwith an engaging hole. The cover is provided with a rib having a ribsection projected from an inner side thereof. The rib and rib section ofthe cover enclose a rib of the seat. The cover also has a hook piecewhich is retained by the engaging hole. The cover further has a slotcorresponding to the hook piece of the front wall. A push-button switchand a metal piece are further provided to control connection ofelectricity. A post is disposed in the seat for preventing the wires andthe conductive metal plates from slipping off In addition, an insulatedplate is passed through a slot in the cover to be disposed between thebatteries and the conductive metal plates for preventing abnormalelectricity discharge.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,367 for holster arrangement for a transportablecommunications device by inventor Abramson, filed Sep. 27, 1995 andissued Aug. 5, 1997, is directed to a holster arrangement for atransportable communications device that is worn by a user and isarranged to have a holder portion positioned on either side of theuser's torso. Straps extending from a shoulder pad are utilized tosupport the holder portion and to secure the holster arrangement to theuser. The holder portion is arranged to support a case in variedpositions with the case being mountable on the holder portion at asubstantially vertical position and at angular positions to the holderportion. Two angular mounting positions are provided to facilitate theuse of the holster arrangement when fitted to either side of the user.The case for holding the communications device is readily detached fromthe holder of the holster arrangement.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,680,026 for tool belt with battery assembly by inventorLueschen filed Mar. 21, 1994 and issued Oct. 21, 1997, is directed to anapparatus comprising: a battery assembly including exactly five parallelrows of C cells, each row having exactly four C cells arranged end toend in series, all of the rows being electrically connected together inseries, a casing which surrounds the rows, a cable having a first endinside the casing, the first end of the cable having a first leadelectrically connected to one end of the series connection of the rows,and the first end of the cable having a second lead electricallyconnected to the other end of the series connection of the rows, thecable having a second end outside the casing, and a male connectorelectrically connected to the second end of the cable; a belt adapted tobe worn around the waist of a user, the belt having an adjustable girthso as to fit users having different waist sizes; a pocket supported bythe belt and slideably movable along the girth of the belt, the pocketclosely housing the battery assembly; and a portable, hand held,electrically powered cable tie tensioning tool, the tool having a femaleconnector connected to the male connector of the battery assembly.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,259,228 for battery pack and protective pouch thereforby inventors Becker et al., filed Feb. 11, 2000 and issued Jul. 10,2001, is directed to a protective housing for a jump-starting batterypack includes a flexible sheet of multi-layered, electrically insulatingfabric material including inner and outer nylon layers and a foampadding layer sandwiched therebetween adapted to be folded around thecase of a battery pack positioned in the middle of the sheet and heldclosed by Velcro-type closures. Retaining straps secure the battery packin place, one of the straps having stacks of secured-together foldspositioned on opposite sides of the case to provide supports on whichthe connector clamps of the battery pack jumper cables can be clamped,with the cables projecting from the open top of the housing to serve ashandles.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,380,713 for battery pack by inventor Namura, filed Apr.25, 2001 and issued Apr. 30, 2002, is directed to a battery pack holdinga first block adjacent to a second block in a case. The first and secondblocks are a plurality of circular cylindrical batteries arranged in thesame horizontal plane. The first and second blocks are each made up of Nbatteries lined up side-by-side in parallel fashion to form a lateralbattery array, and M perpendicular batteries in close proximity to anelectrode end of the lateral battery array and oriented at right anglesto the batteries of the lateral battery array. The circular cylindricalbatteries of the first and second blocks are arranged withpoint-by-point symmetry about the center of the rectangular case.Further, the electrode ends of perpendicular batteries protrude beyond aside of the lateral battery array towards the neighboring block toprovide center region space between the first and second blocks.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,641,432 for waterproof cell cabinet by inventor Ouyoung,filed Oct. 16, 2002 and issued Nov. 4, 2003, is directed to a waterproofcell cabinet comprised of a hollow casing, a cell holder, a connectiondisk, a lid and a pair of locking plates; the casing being adapted witha coupling flange and two positioning channels on the innercircumference of the coupling flange and containing a retaining platewith resilient member and the cell holder in the casing, multiple roomsin the center of the casing with each provided with an induction coil;the connection disk being adapted to the front of the cell holder andintegrated with two fixtures sandwiching a dovetail one end, and tworetaining plates on both sides of the other end; the lid having on itsone end provided with a dish and a rib at the center of the dish; twowings being provided on the outer circumference of the lid and a lockingbutton extending from the other end of the lid to lock into thedovetail; two semi-circular locking plates each containing asemi-circular channel being provided between the connection disk and thelid; two fixation blocks being provided on the inner circumference ofthe locking plate to lock into a locking hole; and the lid being fullysecured in the coupling flange to provide an enclosed space.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,727,197 for wearable transmission device by inventorsWilson et al., filed Nov. 17, 2000 and issued Apr. 27, 2004, is directedto a knitted, woven, or braided textile ribbon including fibers andhaving a length and selvage edges and one or more transmission elementsrunning the length of the ribbon in place of one or more of the fibersand integrated with the fibers to transmit data and/or power along thelength of the ribbon.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,074,520 for contoured casing of mating clamshellportions for an electrochemical cell by inventors Probst et al., filedNov. 4, 2005 and issued Jul. 11, 2006, is directed to an electrochemicalcell of either a primary or a secondary chemistry housed in a casinghaving opposed major side walls of a contoured shape.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,141,330 for secondary battery accommodation case byinventor Aoyama, filed Mar. 4, 2003 and issued Nov. 28, 2006, isdirected to a secondary battery accommodation case with improvedexterior surface having no parting line in two or more exterior facesout of four exterior faces encircling the battery accommodation portion.It comprises a substantially rectangular bottom case having a batteryaccommodation portion for accommodating secondary batteries and a topcase to be assembled with the bottom case for closing the batteryaccommodation portion. In the assembled condition of the top case andthe bottom case, the exterior face of the top case closing the secondarybattery accommodation portion is made equal to or lower than two or moreopen edges out of four exterior faces encircling the batteryaccommodation portion in the bottom case.

US Publication No. 20090279810 for battery bag by inventor Nobles, filedMay 6, 2008 and published Nov. 12, 2009, is directed to a battery bagassembly including an elongated watertight bag (WTB), a sealable accessport (SAP), a battery tray (BT), a power feed-through (PFT), and anelectric power conduit (EPC). SAP has an elongated configurationextending along an elongated length of the WTB. BT is disposed withinthe WTB so that its elongated configuration is aligned with theelongated length of the WTB. BT has electrical connector sockets (EPSs)mounted thereon for mating with oppositely sexed connectors provided onbatteries. PFT is disposed on a wall of the watertight bag. PFT isconfigured to provide a watertight seal for an electrical conductorpassing from an interior of the watertight bag to an exterior of thewatertight bag. EPC is electrically connected for coupling electricpower from the EPSs on the BT to a remote device.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,697,269 for housing mechanism for electronic device byinventors Yang et al., filed Dec. 27, 2006 and issued Apr. 13, 2010, isdirected to an exemplary housing mechanism for an electronic deviceincluding a cover and a frame. The cover has a cover body, a sealingelement, and a sidewall formed around the cover body. A surface of adistal end of the sidewall is recessed thereby forming a receiving slottherein. The sealing element has a connecting portion and a positioningportion connected to the connecting portion. The connecting portion isfixedly received in the receiving slot of the cover. The frame has apositioning slot defined therein and the positioning portion of thesealing element is for reception in the positioning slot of the framewhen the cover is closed to the frame.

US Publication No. 20110070472 for watertight battery cover assembly forelectronic device by inventors Cui et al., filed Mar. 22, 2010 andpublished Mar. 24, 2011, is directed to a battery cover assembly used inan electronic device. The battery cover assembly includes a main body, abattery cover, and a gasket. The main body defines a receiving cavityincluding a peripheral wall. The battery cover includes a frame. Thegasket is assembled in the battery cover. The frame is latched in thereceiving cavity, the gasket is caught between the frame and theperipheral wall. The disclosure further discloses an electronic deviceusing the battery cover assembly.

US Publication No. 20120045929 for PALS compliant routing system byinventors Streeter et al., filed Aug. 23, 2011 and published Feb. 23,2012, is directed to a PALS compliant routing system including flexiblefabric cabling routed through the webbing of a PALS grid. A firstconnector or device is coupled to the cabling. Other connectors coupledto the cabling subsystem include a retention mechanism configured toretain them in the channels of the PALS webbing.

US Publication No. 20130294712 for ammunition magazine pouch by inventorSeuk, filed Oct. 30, 2012 and published Nov. 7, 2013, is directed to ahydration pouch including an elastic band that compresses the bottomportion of the hydration bladder inside the pouch to more evenlydistribute the fluid contents of the bladder vertically within thepouch, thereby preventing the pooling of the fluid contents in thebottom of the bladder.

US Publication No. 20140072864 for packaging material for lithium ionbattery, lithium ion battery, and method for manufacturing lithium ionbattery by inventors Suzuta et al., filed Nov. 8, 2013 and publishedMar. 13, 2014, is directed to a packaging material for a lithium ionbattery including: a base material layer that is formed from a filmobtained by biaxially stretching a multi-layered coextruded filmincluding a first thermoplastic resin layer having rigidity and chemicalresistance and being disposed at an outer side thereof, a secondthermoplastic resin layer having a capability of propagating stress andadhesiveness, and a third thermoplastic resin layer having toughness; ametal foil layer that is laminated on one surface of the base materiallayer; an anti-corrosion-treated layer that is laminated on the metalfoil layer; an inner adhesive layer that is laminated on theanti-corrosion-treated layer; and a sealant layer that is laminated onthe inner adhesive layer.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,720,762 for load carrier systems and associatedmanufacturing methods by inventors Hilliard et al., filed Jun. 17, 2011and issued May 13, 2014, is directed to load carrier systems andassociated manufacturing methods. In one embodiment, a load carriersystem can include a unitary piece of material. The unitary piece ofmaterial can include a body portion comprising a first face side, anopposing face side, a first peripheral edge and an opposing secondperipheral edge; and one or more straps comprising a respective extendedend, wherein the straps are an integral part of the body portion;wherein the one or more straps are folded over onto the first face sideadjacent to the first peripheral edge; and wherein at least onerespective end of the one or more straps is fastened to the opposingsecond peripheral edge.

U.S. Pat. No. 9,144,255 for system for attaching accessories to tacticalgear by inventor Perciballi, filed Feb. 1, 2013 and issued Sep. 29,2015, is directed to designs and methods for a reversible, textile-basedtactical article. In one embodiment the tactical article comprises atextile based panel perforated with an array of slots arranged invertical and horizontal, spaced apart rows. The panel may be adapted forattaching accessories to either side by lacing a strap through a row ofthe slots and through webbing loops on the accessory positioned betweenthe slots. One side of the panel may have a first appearance, and theother side a second appearance that is different from the firstappearance.

US Publication No. 20150295617 for waterproof case by inventors Lai etal., filed Apr. 13, 2015 and published Oct. 15, 2015, is directed to aprotective case for an electronic device may include a housing, a casecover and a gasket positioned between the housing and the case cover.The housing may include a case member, having a plurality of housingsnap attachment structures formed therein. The case cover may likewiseinclude case cover snap attachment structures formed thereon that couplewith the housing snap fit structures. The gasket is positioned betweenplanar surfaces of the case member and case cover so that it is axiallycompressed between the case member and the case cover to provide a waterand air tight seal, with the compression of the gasket being maintainedby the connection of the housing snap attachment structures and the casecover snap attachment structures.

US Publication No. 20170263902 for waterproof battery case by inventorHwang, filed Jun. 30, 2016 and published Sep. 14, 2017, is directed to awaterproof battery case comprising: a case body including a base and atop cover, wherein adjacent surfaces thereof are correspondingly formedwith a flange and a recess in which an elastic sealing member ismounted, the base is formed with an accommodation space allowing atleast one battery to be accommodated, a stepped engaging hole andthrough hole are formed between the outer wall of the base theaccommodation space; an electrode plate set, including at least oneanode contact and at least one cathode contact accommodated in theaccommodation space; and a waterproof structure, including an elasticwaterproof plug allowing two wires to be integrally embedded therein,wherein a plug head at one end thereof is formed with a neck part havingthe circumference formed with at least one convex rib, the other endthereof is formed with an engaging sheet sleeved with the engaging hole.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to portable equipment formilitary, law enforcement, aviation, personal survival, hiking,watersports, and camping applications and, more particularly, to aportable battery pack comprising a battery enclosed by a wearable andreplaceable pouch or skin.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a portable batterypack including a wearable pouch and one or more batteries enclosed inthe wearable pouch, wherein the one or more batteries include at leastone battery element, a battery cover including one or more channels toaccommodate wires of one or more flexible omnidirectional leads and acompartment sized to receive the at least one battery element, a batteryback plate attached to the battery cover, and the one or more flexibleomnidirectional leads including a connector portion and a wiringportion, wherein a flexible spring is provided around the wiringportion, wherein the wiring portion and the flexible spring are heldsecurely in the one or more channels in the battery cover via a clampingmechanism such that a portion of the flexible spring is positionedinside the battery cover and a portion of the flexible spring ispositioned outside the battery cover, wherein the wearable pouch isformed of a waterproof and/or water-resistant material and includes acloseable opening through which the one or more batteries are operableto be removed from the wearable pouch and one or more openings throughwhich the one or more flexible omnidirectional leads from the one ormore batteries can be accessed.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a portable batterypack including a wearable pouch and one or more batteries enclosed inthe wearable pouch, wherein the one or more batteries are rechargeableand include at least one battery element, a battery cover including oneor more channels to accommodate wires of one or more flexibleomnidirectional leads and a compartment sized to receive the at leastone battery element, a battery back plate attached to the battery cover,and the one or more flexible omnidirectional leads including a connectorportion and a wiring portion, wherein a flexible spring is providedaround the wiring portion, wherein the wiring portion and the flexiblespring are held securely in the one or more channels in the batterycover via a clamping mechanism such that a portion of the flexiblespring is positioned inside the battery cover and a portion of theflexible spring is positioned outside the battery cover, wherein thewearable pouch is formed of a waterproof and/or water-resistant materialand includes a closeable opening through which the one or more batteriesare operable to be removed from the wearable pouch and one or moreopenings through which the one or more flexible omnidirectional leadsfrom the one or more batteries can be accessed.

In yet another embodiment, the present invention provides a portablebattery pack including a wearable pouch and one or more batteriesenclosed in the wearable pouch, wherein the one or more batteriesinclude at least one battery element, a battery cover including one ormore channels to accommodate wires of one or more flexibleomnidirectional leads and a compartment sized to receive the at leastone battery element, a battery back plate attached to the battery cover,and the one or more flexible omnidirectional leads including a connectorportion and a wiring portion, wherein a flexible spring is providedaround the wiring portion, wherein the wiring portion and the flexiblespring are held securely in the one or more channels in the batterycover via a clamping mechanism such that a portion of the flexiblespring is positioned inside the battery cover and a portion of theflexible spring is positioned outside the battery cover, wherein thewearable pouch is formed of a waterproof and/or water-resistant materialand includes a closeable opening through which the one or more batteriesare operable to be removed from the wearable pouch, one or more openingsthrough which the one or more flexible omnidirectional leads from theone or more batteries can be accessed, and a pouch attachment laddersystem (PALS) operable to attach the wearable pouch to a load-bearingplatform.

These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent tothose skilled in the art after a reading of the following description ofthe preferred embodiment when considered with the drawings, as theysupport the claimed invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an example of the portablebattery pack that comprises a battery enclosed by a wearable pouch orskin.

FIG. 2 illustrates a front perspective view of an example of theportable battery pack that comprises a battery enclosed by a wearablepouch or skin.

FIG. 3 illustrates a back perspective view of an example of the portablebattery pack that comprises a battery enclosed by a wearable pouch orskin.

FIG. 4 illustrates an angled perspective view of the front of thewearable pouch or skin of the portable battery pack.

FIG. 5 illustrates another angled perspective view of one embodiment ofthe front of the wearable pouch or skin of the portable battery pack.

FIG. 6 illustrates an angled perspective view of one embodiment of theback of the wearable pouch or skin of the portable battery pack.

FIG. 7A illustrates another angled perspective view of anotherembodiment of the front of the wearable pouch or skin of the portablebattery pack.

FIG. 7B illustrates an angled perspective view of another embodiment ofthe back of the wearable pouch or skin of the portable battery pack.

FIG. 8 shows a side perspective view of the portable battery packaffixed to a vest using zippers.

FIG. 9A illustrates a front perspective view of the wearable pouch orskin of the portable battery pack.

FIG. 9B illustrates a side perspective view of the wearable pouch orskin of the portable battery pack.

FIG. 9C illustrates a back perspective view of the wearable pouch orskin of the portable battery pack.

FIG. 9D illustrates a perspective view of an end of the wearable pouchor skin of the portable battery pack.

FIG. 9E illustrates a perspective view of another end of the wearablepouch or skin of the portable battery pack.

FIG. 10 illustrates an exploded view of an example of the battery of theportable battery pack.

FIG. 11 illustrates a top perspective view of the battery of theportable battery pack when assembled.

FIG. 12 illustrates a bottom perspective view of the battery of theportable battery pack when assembled.

FIG. 13 illustrates a perspective view of the battery cover of theportable battery pack.

FIG. 14A illustrates a top perspective view of the battery cover of theportable battery pack.

FIG. 14B illustrates a cross-section view of the battery cover of theportable battery pack.

FIG. 14C illustrates another cross-section view of the battery cover ofthe portable battery pack.

FIG. 14D illustrates yet another cross-section view of the battery coverof the portable battery pack.

FIG. 15A illustrates a cross-section view of the back plate of thebattery of the portable battery pack.

FIG. 15B illustrates a view of the back plate of the battery of theportable battery pack.

FIG. 15C illustrates another view of the back plate of the battery ofthe portable battery pack.

FIG. 16 illustrates a cutaway view of a portion of the battery, whichshows more details of the flexible omnidirectional battery leads.

FIG. 17A illustrates a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of astructure that includes a material for dissipating heat.

FIG. 17B illustrates a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of anotherstructure that includes a material for dissipating heat.

FIG. 17C illustrates a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of yetanother structure that includes a material for dissipating heat.

FIG. 17D illustrates a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of yetanother structure that includes a material for dissipating heat.

FIG. 18 illustrates an exploded view of an example of a battery of aportable battery pack into which a heat dissipating material isinstalled.

FIG. 19 illustrates a block diagram of one embodiment of the controlelectronics for a state of charge indicator incorporated into theportable battery pack.

FIG. 20A illustrates a block diagram of an example of an SOC system thatincludes a mobile application for use with a portable battery pack.

FIG. 20B illustrates a block diagram of an example of controlelectronics of the portable battery pack that is capable ofcommunicating with the SOC mobile application.

FIG. 20C illustrates a block diagram of another example of controlelectronics of the portable battery pack that is capable ofcommunicating with the SOC mobile application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention is generally directed to a portable battery packincluding a wearable and replaceable pouch or skin with one or morebatteries enclosed in the pouch or skin for military, law enforcement,aviation, personal survival, hiking, sports, recreation, hunting, landsurveying, expedition, watersports, and camping applications.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a portable batterypack including a wearable pouch and one or more batteries enclosed inthe wearable pouch, wherein the one or more batteries include at leastone battery element, a battery cover including one or more channels toaccommodate wires of one or more flexible omnidirectional leads and acompartment sized to receive the at least one battery element, a batteryback plate attached to the battery cover, and the one or more flexibleomnidirectional leads including a connector portion and a wiringportion, wherein a flexible spring is provided around the wiringportion, wherein the wiring portion and the flexible spring are heldsecurely in the one or more channels in the battery cover via a clampingmechanism such that a portion of the flexible spring is positionedinside the battery cover and a portion of the flexible spring ispositioned outside the battery cover, wherein the wearable pouch isformed of a waterproof and/or water-resistant material and includes acloseable opening through which the one or more batteries are operableto be removed from the wearable pouch and one or more openings throughwhich the one or more flexible omnidirectional leads from the one ormore batteries can be accessed.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a portable batterypack including a wearable pouch and one or more batteries enclosed inthe wearable pouch, wherein the one or more batteries are rechargeableand include at least one battery element, a battery cover including oneor more channels to accommodate wires of one or more flexibleomnidirectional leads and a compartment sized to receive the at leastone battery element, a battery back plate attached to the battery cover,and the one or more flexible omnidirectional leads including a connectorportion and a wiring portion, wherein a flexible spring is providedaround the wiring portion, wherein the wiring portion and the flexiblespring are held securely in the one or more channels in the batterycover via a clamping mechanism such that a portion of the flexiblespring is positioned inside the battery cover and a portion of theflexible spring is positioned outside the battery cover, wherein thewearable pouch is formed of a waterproof and/or water-resistant materialand includes a closeable opening through which the one or more batteriesare operable to be removed from the wearable pouch and one or moreopenings through which the one or more flexible omnidirectional leadsfrom the one or more batteries can be accessed.

In yet another embodiment, the present invention provides a portablebattery pack including a wearable pouch and one or more batteriesenclosed in the wearable pouch, wherein the one or more batteriesinclude at least one battery element, a battery cover including one ormore channels to accommodate wires of one or more flexibleomnidirectional leads and a compartment sized to receive the at leastone battery element, a battery back plate attached to the battery cover,and the one or more flexible omnidirectional leads including a connectorportion and a wiring portion, wherein a flexible spring is providedaround the wiring portion, wherein the wiring portion and the flexiblespring are held securely in the one or more channels in the batterycover via a clamping mechanism such that a portion of the flexiblespring is positioned inside the battery cover and a portion of theflexible spring is positioned outside the battery cover, wherein thewearable pouch is formed of a waterproof and/or water-resistant materialand includes a closeable opening through which the one or more batteriesare operable to be removed from the wearable pouch, one or more openingsthrough which the one or more flexible omnidirectional leads from theone or more batteries can be accessed, and a pouch attachment laddersystem (PALS) operable to attach the wearable pouch to a load-bearingplatform.

None of the prior art discloses a wearable pouch and one or morebatteries enclosed in the wearable pouch, wherein the one or morebatteries include at least one battery element, a battery cover, abattery back plate, and one or more flexible omnidirectional leads thatinclude a connector portion and a wiring portion, wherein a flexiblespring is provided around the wiring portion such that a portion of theflexible spring is positioned inside the battery cover and a portion ofthe flexible spring is positioned outside the battery cover.

Referring now to the drawings in general, the illustrations are for thepurpose of describing one or more preferred embodiments of the inventionand are not intended to limit the invention thereto.

In some embodiments, the present invention provides a portable batterypack including a battery enclosed by, e.g., inside of, a wearable andreplaceable pouch or skin, wherein the pouch or skin can be provided indifferent colors and/or patterns. Namely, a set of multipleinterchangeable pouches or skins can be provided with one battery unit.This feature is particularly beneficial when it is required that theportable battery pack blend into different environments, such as inmilitary applications. In one example, if the portable battery pack isused in a jungle or wilderness environment, the battery can be placedinside a camouflage pouch or skin. In another example, if the portablebattery pack is used in an arctic environment, the battery can be placedinside a white-colored pouch or skin. In yet another example, if theportable battery pack is used in a desert environment, the battery canbe placed inside a sand-colored pouch or skin.

Representative camouflages include, but are not limited to, universalcamouflage pattern (UCP), also known as ACUPAT or ARPAT or Army CombatUniform; MultiCam, also known as Operation Enduring Freedom CamouflagePattern (OCP); Universal Camouflage Pattern-Delta (UCP-Delta); AirmanBattle Uniform (ABU); Navy Working Uniform (NWU), including variants,such as, blue-grey, desert (Type II), and woodland (Type III); MARPAT,also known as Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform, including woodland,desert, and winter/snow variants; Disruptive Overwhite Snow digitalcamouflage, urban digital camouflage, and Tactical Assault Camouflage(TACAM).

Therefore, an aspect of the portable battery pack is that it provides abattery in combination with one or more wearable and replaceable pouchesor skins, wherein the one or more pouches or skins can be differentcolors and/or patterns.

Another aspect of the portable battery pack is that the battery has oneor more leads that can be flexed repeatedly in any direction withoutbreaking or failing. This means the portable battery pack is operable todeliver energy from the battery to power consuming devices located indifferent areas of the load bearing equipment. Similarly, the portablebattery pack is operable to receive energy from charging devices locatedin different areas of the load bearing equipment to the battery.

Yet another aspect of the portable battery pack is that the battery andpouch or skin are lightweight and contoured for comfortable wearing orease of fastening to other equipment, such as a backpack or body armor.

Still another aspect of the portable battery pack is that the pouch orskin can be MOLLE-compatible. “MOLLE” means Modular LightweightLoad-carrying Equipment, which is the current generation of load-bearingequipment and backpacks utilized by a number of NATO armed forces. Theportable battery pack can also be made to affix to other equipment(e.g., chair or seat, boat or kayak, helmet) or a user's body (e.g.,back region, chest region, abdominal region, arm, leg) using straps,snaps, hook and loop tape, snaps, ties, buckles, and/or clips for otherapplications.

FIGS. 1-3 are perspective views of an example of the portable batterypack 100 that includes a battery enclosed by a wearable pouch or skin.For example, portable battery pack 100 includes a pouch 110 for holdinga battery 150. Pouch 110 is a wearable pouch or skin that can be sizedin any manner that substantially corresponds to a size of battery 150.In one example, pouch 110 is sized to hold a battery 150 that is about9.75 inches long, about 8.6 inches wide, and about 1 inch thick.

In a preferred embodiment, pouch 110 is formed of a flexible, durable,and waterproof or at least water-resistant material. For example, pouch110 can be formed of polyester, polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-coatedpolyester, vinyl-coated polyester, nylon, canvas, PVC-coated canvas, orpolycotton canvas. In one embodiment, pouch 110 is formed of a materialthat is laminated to or treated with a waterproofing or water repellantmaterial (e.g., rubber, PVC, polyurethane, silicone elastomer,fluoropolymers, wax, thermoplastic elastomer). Additionally oralternatively, pouch 110 is treated with a UV coating to increase UVresistance. The exterior finish of pouch 110 can be any color, such aswhite, brown, green, orange (e.g., international orange), yellow, black,or blue, or any pattern, such as camouflage, as provided herein, or anyother camouflage in use by the military, law enforcement, or hunters.For example, in FIGS. 1-3, pouch 110 is shown to have a camouflagepattern. In one embodiment, the exterior of pouch 110 includes areflective tape, fabric, or material. Advantageously, the reflectivetape, fabric, or material improves visibility of the user in low-lightconditions.

Pouch 110 has a first side 112 and a second side 114. Pouch 110 alsoincludes an opening 116, which is the opening through which battery 150is fitted into pouch 110. In the example shown in FIGS. 1-3, opening 116is opened and closed using a zipper, as such pouch 110 includes a zippertab 118. Other mechanisms, however, can be used for holding opening 116of pouch 110 open or closed, such as, a hook and loop system (e.g.,Velcro®), buttons, snaps, hooks, ties, clips, buckles, and the like.Further, an opening 120 (see FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 5) is provided on theend of pouch 110 that is opposite opening 116. For example, opening 120can be a 0.5-inch long slit or a 0.75-inch long slit in the edge ofpouch 110. In one embodiment, the opening 120 is finished or reinforcedwith stitching. In another embodiment, the opening 120 is laser cut.

The battery 150 includes at least one lead. In one example, battery 150is a rechargeable battery with two leads 152 (e.g., leads 152 a, 152 b)as shown in FIGS. 2-3. Each lead 152 can be used for both the chargingfunction and the power supply function. In other words, leads 152 a, 152b are not dedicated to the charging function only or the power supplyfunction only, both leads 152 a, 152 b can be used for either functionat any time or both at the same time. In one example, one lead 152 canbe used for charging battery 150 while the other lead 152 can be usedsimultaneously for powering equipment, or both leads 152 can be used forpowering equipment, or both leads 152 can be used for charging battery150.

Each lead 152 is preferably operable to charge and discharge at the sametime. In one example, a Y-splitter with a first connector and a secondconnector is attached to a lead 152. The Y-splitter allows the lead 152to supply power to equipment via the first connector and charge battery150 via the second connector at the same time. Thus, the leads 152 areoperable to allow power to flow in and out of the batterysimultaneously.

In a preferred embodiment, a dust cap is used to cover a correspondinglead. Advantageously, the dust cap protects the connector from dust andother environmental contaminants that may cause battery failure in thefield.

The battery 150 is operable to be charged using at least one chargingdevice. In a preferred embodiment, the at least one charging device isan alternating current (AC) adapter, a solar panel, a generator, aportable power case, a fuel cell, a vehicle battery, a rechargeablebattery, and/or a non-rechargeable battery. Examples of a portable powercase are disclosed in US Publication No. 20170229692 and U.S.application Ser. No. 15/664,776, each of which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety. In one embodiment, the battery 150 isconnected to the at least one charging device through a directcurrent-direct current (DC-DC) converter cable.

In another embodiment, the battery 150 is operable to be charged viainductive charging. In one embodiment, the battery 150 is operable to becharged using an inductive charging mat. In an alternative embodiment,the battery is operable to be charged using an inductive puck worn in apocket, on the back of a helmet, or in a rucksack. In one embodiment,the inductive puck is powered using a DC power source. Advantageously,this reduces the number of cables required for a user, which preventsusers from accidentally disconnecting cables (e.g., when getting in andout of spaces like vehicles). Additionally, this allows a user to useproximity charging, which allows the user to focus on the task at handinstead of spending a few seconds connecting the battery to a chargingdevice, which may be located behind the user in a rucksack. Further,this embodiment eliminates the possibility of reverse polarity andarcing between connectors caused by the electrical potential. Theinductive puck is operable to charge additional power consuming devicescarried by a user (e.g., a smartphone, a tablet).

In one embodiment, the battery 150 is operable to be charged byharvesting ambient radiofrequency (RF) waves. Alternatively, the battery150 is operable to be charged by capturing exothermic body reactions(e.g., heat, sweat). In one embodiment, the battery 150 is operable tobe charged using thermoelectric generators, which use temperaturedifferences between the body and the external environment to generateenergy. In another embodiment, the battery 150 is operable to be chargedusing sweat (e.g., using lactate). In an alternative embodiment, thebattery 150 is operable to be charged using friction (e.g.,triboelectric effect) or kinetic energy. In yet another example, thebattery 150 is operable to be charged by a pedal power generator. In oneembodiment, the battery 150 is connected to the pedal power generatorthrough a direct current-direct current (DC-DC) converter cable.

The battery 150 is also operable to be charged using energy generatedfrom running water and wind energy. In one embodiment, the wind energyis generated using an unmanned aerial system or drone on a tether. In analternative embodiment, the wind energy is generated using a drive alongturbine.

With respect to using battery 150 with pouch 110, first the user unzipsopening 116, then the user inserts one end of battery 150 that has, forexample, lead 152 b through opening 116 and into the compartment insidepouch 110. At the same time, the user guides the end of lead 152 bthrough opening 120, which allows the housing of battery 150 to fitentirely inside pouch 110, as shown in FIG. 1. Lead 152 a is leftprotruding out of the unzipped opening 116. Then the user zips opening116 closed, leaving zipper tab 118 snugged up against lead 152 a, asshown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. FIG. 2 shows portable battery pack 100 withside 112 of pouch 110 up, whereas FIG. 3 shows portable battery pack 100with side 114 of pouch 110 up.

As previously described, battery 150 has at least one lead 152. In oneembodiment, pouch 110 has an opening 120 for each corresponding lead152. In one example, the battery 150 has four leads 152 and the pouch110 has four openings 120 corresponding to the four leads 152.Alternatively, pouch 110 utilizes the zippered opening 116 to secure onelead 152 and has an opening 120 for each remaining lead 152. In oneexample, the battery 150 has four leads 152 and the pouch 110 has threeopenings 120 for three of the four leads 152. The remaining lead 152 issecured by the zipper.

In another embodiment, pouch 100 has a seal around an opening 120 for acorresponding lead 152. The seal is tight around the lead 152, whichprevents water from entering the pouch through the opening 120. In oneembodiment, the seal is formed of a rubber (e.g., neoprene).

In a preferred embodiment, pouch 110 of portable battery pack 100 isMOLLE-compatible. In one embodiment, pouch 110 incorporates a pouchattachment ladder system (PALS), which is a grid of webbing used toattach smaller equipment onto load-bearing platforms, such as vests andbackpacks. For example, the PALS grid consists of horizontal rows of1-inch (2.5 cm) webbing, spaced about one inch apart, and reattached tothe backing at 1.5-inch inch (3.8 cm) intervals. In one embodiment, thewebbing is formed of nylon (e.g., cordura nylon webbing, MIL-W-43668Type III nylon webbing). Accordingly, a set of straps 122 (e.g., fourstraps 122) are provided on one edge of pouch 110 as shown. Further,rows of webbing 124 (e.g., four rows 124) are provided on side 112 ofpouch 110, as shown in FIG. 2. Additionally, rows of slots or slits 126(e.g., four rows of slots or slits 126) are provided on side 114 ofpouch 110, as shown in FIG. 3. In a preferred embodiment, the set ofstraps 122, rows of webbing 124, and rows of slots or slits 126replicate and duplicate the MOLLE underneath the portable battery packon the load bearing equipment. Advantageously, this allows for minimaldisruption to the user because the user can place additional gearpouches or gear (e.g., water bottle, antenna pouch) on the MOLLE of theportable battery pack in an equivalent location.

In other embodiments, the portable battery pack is made to affix toother equipment (e.g., chair or seat, boat or kayak, helmet) or a user'sbody (e.g., back region, chest region, abdominal region, arm, leg) usingstraps, snaps, hook and loop tape, snaps, buckles, ties, and/or clips.In one example, the portable battery pack is made to affix to a seat ofa kayak using at least one strap and at least one side-release buckle.In another example, the portable battery pack is made to affix to auser's body using two shoulder straps. In yet another example, theportable battery pack includes two shoulder straps, a chest strap, and aside-release buckle for the chest strap.

FIGS. 4-6 are perspective views of an example of wearable pouch 110 ofthe portable battery pack 100. FIG. 4 shows details of side 112 of pouch110 and of the edge of pouch 110 that includes opening 116. FIG. 4 showsopening 116 in the zipper closed state. Again, four rows of webbing 124are provided on side 112 of pouch 110. FIG. 5 also shows details of side112 of pouch 110 and shows the edge of pouch 110 that includes opening120. FIG. 6 shows details of side 114 of pouch 110 and shows the edge ofpouch 110 that includes opening 116. FIG. 6 shows opening 116 in thezipped closed state. Again, four rows of slots or slits 126 are providedon side 114 of pouch 110.

In another embodiment, the portable battery pack is made to affix to aplate carrier, body armor, or vest with at least one single width ofzipper tape sewn on the front panel or the back panel (e.g., JPC 2.0™ byCrye Precision) as shown in FIGS. 7A-7B. FIG. 7A shows details of side112 of pouch 110 including a single width of zipper tape 190 a and azipper slider 192 a. The single width of zipper tape 190 a mates with acorresponding single width of zipper tape on the plate carrier, bodyarmor, or vest. FIG. 7B shows details of side 114 of pouch 110 includinga single width of zipper tape 190 b and a zipper slider 192 b. Thesingle width of zipper tape 190 b mates with a corresponding singlewidth of zipper tape on the plate carrier, body armor, or vest.

FIG. 8 shows a side perspective view of the portable battery pack 100affixed to a vest 800 using zippers. The single width of zipper tape 190a is shown mated with a corresponding single width of zipper tape 194 aon a right side of the vest 800 using zipper slider 192 a, therebyattaching the portable battery pack 100 to the vest 800. Similarly, thesingle width of zipper tape 190 b (not shown) is mated with acorresponding single width of zipper tape 194 b (not shown) on a leftside of the vest 800 using zipper slider 192 b (not shown).

FIGS. 9A-9E illustrate various other views of wearable pouch 110 of theportable battery pack 100. FIG. 9A shows a view (i.e., “PLAN-A”) of side112 of pouch 110. FIG. 9B shows a side view of pouch 110. FIG. 9C showsa view (i.e., “PLAN-B”) of side 114 of pouch 110. FIG. 9D shows an endview (i.e., “END-A”) of the non-strap end of pouch 110. FIG. 9E shows anend view (i.e., “END-B”) of the strap 112-end of pouch 110. FIG. 10 isan exploded view of an example of battery 150 of the portable batterypack 100. Battery 150 includes a battery element 164 that is housedbetween a battery cover 154 and a back plate 162. Battery element 164supplies leads 152 a, 152 b. The battery element 164 is formed of aplurality of sealed battery cells or individually contained batterycells, i.e. batteries with their own cases, removably disposed therein.In a preferred embodiment, the battery cells are electrochemical batterycells, and more preferably, include lithium ion rechargeable batteries.In one embodiment, the battery cells are lithium metal or lithiumferrous phosphate cells. In an alternative embodiment, the battery cellsare all-solid-state cells (e.g., using glass electrolytes and alkalinemetal anodes), such as those disclosed in US Publication Nos.20160368777 and 20160365602, each of which is incorporated by referencein its entirety. In another embodiment, the battery is formed using atleast one metal-organic framework. In one embodiment, the battery cellsare 18350, 14430, 14500, 18500, 16650, 18650, 21700, or 26650cylindrical cells. The plurality of battery cells may be constructed andconfigured in parallel, series, or a combination. The plurality ofbattery cells may be in one group or more than one group.Advantageously, subdividing the plurality of battery cells into morethan one group allows a larger quantity of lithium ion batteries toarrive by air that otherwise could not be transported due toregulations. In one example, the output of battery element 164 can befrom about 5 volts DC to about 90 volts DC at from about 0.25 amps toabout 10 amps.

The plurality of battery cells is preferably connected to the leads viaa battery management system. The battery management system protects thebattery from operating outside of a safe operating area by including atleast one safety cutoff. The at least one safety cutoff relates tovoltage, temperature, state of charge, state of health, and/or current.In another embodiment, the battery management system calculates a chargecurrent limit, a discharge current limit, an energy delivered since lastcharge, a charge delivered, a charge stored, a total energy deliveredsince first use, a total operating time since first use, and/or a totalnumber of cycles.

In one embodiment, the plurality of battery cells is removably disposedwithin the battery cover 154 and the back plate 162. For example, theplurality of battery cells can be replaced if they no longer hold asufficient charge. In one embodiment, the plurality of battery cells isremovably disposed within the battery cover 154 and the back plate 162as a battery cartridge. In a preferred embodiment, the battery cartridgeslides into an opening in the battery cover 154 or the back plate 162through a battery access panel. In one embodiment, the battery cartridgeis a spring-loaded cartridge. Additionally or alternatively, the batterycartridge has flat contacts and pins. The battery cartridge preferablyhas features that allow the battery cartridge to matingly fit withfeatures in the opening. In another embodiment, the plurality of batterycells is removably disposed within the battery cover 154 and the backplate 162 using a battery holder or a snap connector. In one embodiment,the battery holder or the snap connector is electrically connected tothe battery management system via a mating connector (e.g., arectangular connector), such as those available from Molex® orPowerpole® by Anderson Power.

The battery access panel is preferably accessed within the battery cover154 or the back plate 162 via a door on hinges, which allows the door tostay anchored to the device. Alternatively, the door is secured to thebattery cover 154 or the back plate 162 by screws. The battery accesspanel preferably contains a gasket that provides a water tight seal whenthe door is secured to the battery cover 154 or the back plate 162.

Alternatively, the plurality of battery cells is sealed within thebattery cover 154 and the back plate 162. In one embodiment, theplurality of battery cells is sealed using an adhesive and/or at leastone mechanical fastener (e.g., screws, rivets, pins). In anotherembodiment, the plurality of battery cells is sealed within the batterycover 154 and the back plate 162 via bonding (e.g., solvent bonding,fusion bonding) and/or welding (e.g., vibration welding, ultrasonicwelding).

The battery cover 154 includes a compartment 156 that is sized toreceive at least one battery element 164. In a preferred embodiment, thecompartment 156 is substantially rectangular in shape with a top hatstyle rim 158 provided around the perimeter of compartment 156. Thebattery cover 154 incudes at least one channel formed in the batterycover 154 to accommodate a wire of a corresponding lead. The example inFIG. 10 shows two channels 160 (e.g., channels 160 a, 160 b) formed inbattery cover 154 (one on each side) to accommodate the wires of leads152 a, 152 b passing therethrough. More details of leads 152 and batterycover 154 are shown and described herein below with reference to FIG.16.

Battery cover 154 and back plate 162 can be formed of plastic using, forexample, a thermoform process or an injection molding. Back plate 162can be mechanically attached to rim 158 of battery cover 154 via, forexample, an ultrasonic spot welding process or an adhesive. In oneembodiment, a water barrier material (e.g., silicone) is applied to themating surfaces of rim 158 and back plate 162. In another embodiment,battery cover 154, back plate 162, and/or battery element 164 has aslight curvature or contour for conforming to, for example, the user'svest, backpack, or body armor. In one example, the curvature of theportable battery pack is engineered to match the outward curve of bodyarmor. Advantageously, this means that the portable battery pack doesnot jostle as the operator moves, which results in less caloric energyexpenditure when the operator moves. Alternatively, the battery cover154, back plate 162, and/or battery element 164 can have a slightoutward curvature or contour for conforming to a user's body (e.g., backregion, chest region, abdominal region, arm, leg). In yet anotherembodiment, the battery cover 154, back plate 162, and/or batteryelement 164 can have a slight outward curvature or contour forconforming to a user's helmet or hat. More details of battery cover 154are shown and described herein below with reference to FIG. 13 and FIGS.14A-14D. More details of back plate 162 are shown and described hereinbelow with reference to FIGS. 15A-15C.

As previously described, the housing of the at least one batteryincludes a battery cover 154 and a back plate 162. In one embodiment,the battery 150 includes more than one battery element 164 encased inthe housing. The output voltages of the more than one battery elementmay be the same or different. In one example, a first battery elementhas an output voltage of 16.8V and a second battery element has anoutput voltage of 16.8V. In another example, a first battery element hasan output voltage of 16.8V and a second battery element has an outputvoltage of 5V. Advantageously, including more than one battery elementencased in the housing allows a larger quantity of lithium ion batteriesto arrive by air that otherwise could not be transported due toregulations.

FIGS. 11-12 are perspective views of battery 150 of the portable batterypack 100 when fully assembled. FIG. 11 shows a view of the battery cover154-side of battery 150, while FIG. 12 shows a view of the back plate162-side of battery 150.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the side of battery cover 154 thatfaces battery element 164. FIGS. 14A-14D shows various other views ofbattery cover 154 of battery 150 of the portable battery pack 100,including example dimensions of battery cover 154. FIG. 14A illustratesa top perspective view of the battery cover of the portable batterypack. FIG. 14B illustrates a cross-section view of the battery cover ofthe portable battery pack. FIG. 14C illustrates another cross-sectionview of the battery cover of the portable battery pack. FIG. 14Dillustrates yet another cross-section view of the battery cover of theportable battery pack.

FIGS. 15A-15C illustrate various views of back plate 162 of battery 150and show the contour and example dimensions of back plate 162. FIG. 15Aillustrates a cross-section view of the back plate of the battery of theportable battery pack. FIG. 15B illustrates a view of the back plate ofthe battery of the portable battery pack. FIG. 15C illustrates anotherview of the back plate of the battery of the portable battery pack. Inone example, back plate 162 is about 9.75 inches long, about 8.6 incheswide, and about 0.4 inches thick.

FIG. 16 is a cutaway view of a portion of battery 150, which shows moredetails of the flexible omnidirectional battery leads 152. Each lead 152has a connector portion 170 and a wiring portion 172. Wiring portion 172is electrically connected to battery element 164. In one embodiment, thewiring portion 172 is formed of a saltwater resistant cable. Connectorportion 170 can be any type or style of connector needed to mate to theequipment to be used with battery 150 of portable battery pack 100. In apreferred embodiment, the connector portion 170 is a female circulartype of connector (e.g., Tajimi™ part number R04-P5f). In an alternativeembodiment, at least one connector portion 170 is a male universalserial bus (USB), micro USB, lightning, and/or Firewire connector. Inyet another embodiment, the connector portion 170 has an IngressProtection (IP) rating of IP2X, IP3X, IP4X, IP5X, IP6X, IPX1, IPX2,IPX3, IPX4, IPX5, IPX6, IPX7, or IPX8. More preferably, the connectorportion 170 has an IP rating of IPX6, IPX7, or IPX8. IP ratings aredescribed in IEC standard 60529, ed. 2.2 (05/2015), published by theInternational Electrotechnical Commission, which is incorporated hereinby reference in its entirety. In one embodiment, the connector portionmeets standards described in Department of Defense documentsMIL-STD-202E, MIL-STD-202F published February 1998, MIL-STD-202Gpublished 18 Jul. 2003, and/or MIL-STD-202H published 18 Apr. 2015, eachof which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Wiring portion 172 is fitted into channel 160 formed in battery cover154 such that connector portion 170 extends away from battery cover 154.A spring 174 is provided around wiring portion 172, such that a portionof spring 174 is inside battery cover 154 and a portion of spring 174 isoutside battery cover 154. In one example, spring 174 is a steel springthat is from about 0.25 inches to about 1.5 inches long. Wiring portion172 of lead 152 and spring 174 are held securely in channel 160 ofbattery cover 154 via a clamping mechanism 176. Alternatively, thewiring portion 172 of lead 152 and spring 174 are held securely inchannel 160 of battery cover 154 using an adhesive, a retention pin, ahex nut, a hook anchor, and/or a zip tie.

The presence of spring 174 around wiring portion 172 of lead 152 allowslead 152 to be flexed in any direction for convenient connection toequipment from any angle. The presence of spring 174 around wiringportion 172 of lead 152 also allows lead 152 to be flexed repeatedlywithout breaking or failing. The design of leads 152 provides benefitover conventional leads and/or connectors of portable battery packs thatare rigid, wherein conventional rigid leads allow connection from oneangle only and are prone to breakage if bumped.

In one embodiment, a layer of heat shrink tubing is placed around thewiring portion before the spring is placed around the wiring portion.The heat shrink tubing is preferably flexible. Advantageously, the heatshrink tubing provides additional waterproofing for the battery.

In one embodiment, the battery 150 includes a step down voltageconverter. In one example, the battery 150 includes a step down voltageconverter from 16.8V to 5V. Advantageously, this allows the portablebattery pack to power devices (e.g., smartphones) with a chargingvoltage of 5V. This also reduces the bulk outside the portable batterypack because the step down voltage converter is housed within thebattery element and a separate external voltage converter is notrequired.

In one embodiment, the wearable pouch includes a material fordissipating heat. Additionally or alternatively, the battery of thewearable battery pack includes at least one layer of a material fordissipating heat. Examples of a material for dissipating heat aredisclosed in US Publication Nos. 20170229692 and 20160112004 and U.S.application Ser. No. 15/664,776, each of which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

FIGS. 17A -17D are cross-sectional views of examples of structures thatinclude a material for dissipating heat from electronic devices and/orclothing. The heat-dissipating material can be used in combination with,for example, one or two substrates. For example, FIG. 17A shows astructure 1500 that includes a heat-dissipating layer 1520. Theheat-dissipating layer 1520 can be sandwiched between a first substrate1525 and a second substrate 1530.

The heat-dissipating layer 1520 can be any material that is suitable fordissipating heat from electronic devices and/or clothing. Theheat-dissipating layer 1520 can be from about 20 μm thick to about 350μm thick in one example. In particular embodiments, the heat-dissipatinglayer 1520 can have a thickness ranging from about 1 mil to about 6 mil,including, but not limited to, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 mil, or about 25 μmto about 150 μm, including, but not limited to, 25, 50, 75, 100, 125,and 150 μm. Examples of the heat-dissipating layer 1520 includeanti-static, anti-radio frequency (RF), and/or anti-electromagneticinterference (EMI) materials, such as copper shielding plastic or copperparticles bonded in a polymer matrix, as well as anti-tarnish andanti-corrosion materials. A specific example of the heat-dissipatinglayer 1520 is the anti-corrosive material used in Corrosion InterceptPouches, catalog number 034-2024-10, available from University ProductsInc. (Holyoke, Mass.). The anti-corrosive material is described in U.S.Pat. No. 4,944,916 to Franey, which is incorporated by reference hereinin its entirety. Such materials can be formed of copper shielded orcopper impregnated polymers including, but not limited to, polyethylene,low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, polypropylene, andpolystyrene. In another embodiment, the heat shielding or blockingand/or heat-dissipating layer is a polymer with aluminum and/or copperparticles incorporated therein. In particular, the surface area of thepolymer with aluminum and/or copper particles incorporated thereinpreferably includes a large percent by area of copper and/or aluminum.By way of example and not limitation, the surface area of theheat-dissipating layer includes about 25% by area copper and/oraluminum, 50% by area copper and/or aluminum, 75% by area copper and/oraluminum, or 90% by area copper and/or aluminum. In one embodiment, theheat shielding or blocking and/or heat-dissipating layer issubstantially smooth and not bumpy. In another embodiment, the heatshielding or blocking and/or heat-dissipating layer is not flat butincludes folds and/or bumps to increase the surface area of the layer.Alternatively, the heat-shielding or blocking and/or heat-dissipatinglayer 1520 includes a fabric having at least one metal incorporatedtherein or thereon. The fabric further includes a synthetic component,such as by way of example and not limitation, a nylon, a polyester, oran acetate component. Preferably, the at least one metal is selectedfrom the group consisting of copper, nickel, aluminum, gold, silver,tin, zinc, and tungsten.

The first substrate 1525 and the second substrate 1530 can be anyflexible or rigid substrate material. An example of a flexible substrateis any type of fabric. Examples of rigid substrates include, but are notlimited to, glass, plastic, and metal. A rigid substrate may be, forexample, the housing of any device. In one example, both the firstsubstrate 1525 and the second substrate 1530 are flexible substrates. Inanother example, both the first substrate 1525 and the second substrate1530 are rigid substrates. In yet another example, the first substrate1525 is a flexible substrate and the second substrate 1530 is a rigidsubstrate. In still another example, the first substrate 1525 is a rigidsubstrate and the second substrate 1530 is a flexible substrate.Further, the first substrate 1525 and the second substrate 1530 can besingle-layer or multi-layer structures.

In structure 1500 of FIG. 17A, the heat-shielding or blocking and/orheat-dissipating layer 1520, the first substrate 1525, and the secondsubstrate 1530 are bonded or otherwise attached together, by way ofexample and not limitation, by adhesive, laminating, stitching, orhook-and-loop fastener system. In another example and referring now toFIG. 17B, in a structure 1505, the first substrate 1525 is bonded to oneside of the heat shielding or blocking and/or heat-dissipating layer1520, whereas the second substrate 1530 is not bonded or otherwiseattached to the other side of the heat shielding or blocking and/orheat-dissipating layer 1520. In yet another example and referring now toFIG. 17C, in a structure 1510, the first substrate 1525 is providedloosely against one side of the heat shielding or blocking and/orheat-dissipating layer 1520 and the second substrate 1530 is providedloosely against the other side of the heat-dissipating layer 1520. Thefirst substrate 1525 and the second substrate 1530 are not bonded orotherwise attached to the heat shielding or blocking and/orheat-dissipating layer 1520. In still another example and referring nowto FIG. 17D, in a structure 1515, the heat shielding or blocking and/orheat-dissipating layer 1520 is provided in combination with the firstsubstrate 1525 only, either bonded or loosely arranged. In FIG. 17D, ifthe two layers are loosely arranged, the heat-dissipating layer 1520 isnot bonded or otherwise attached to the first substrate 1525. Thematerial for dissipating heat is not limited to the structures 1500,1505, 1510, 1515. These structures are exemplary only.

In one embodiment, the pouch 110 includes at least one layer of amaterial to dissipate heat on the first side 112 and/or the second side114. In one embodiment, the first substrate 1525 is an interior layer ofthe pouch 110 and the second substrate 1530 is an exterior layer of thepouch 110. In an alternative embodiment, a structure (e.g., thestructure 1515 of FIG. 17D) is formed separately and then inserted intothe pouch 110. Advantageously, this provides for retrofitting the pouchwith heat protection from the heat-shielding or blocking and/orheat-dissipating material layer or coating.

In a preferred embodiment, the battery includes at least one layer of amaterial to dissipate heat. FIG. 18 illustrates an exploded view of anexample of a battery 150 of the portable battery pack 100 into which theheat dissipating material is installed. Battery 150 includes a batteryelement 164 that is housed between a battery cover 154 and a back plate162. A first heat-dissipating layer 180 is between the battery cover 154and the battery element 164. The first heat-dissipating layer 180protects the battery from external heat sources (e.g., a hot vehicle). Asecond heat-dissipating layer 182 is between the battery element 164 andthe back plate 162. The second heat-dissipating layer 182 protects theuser from heat given off by the battery element 164. In anotherembodiment, the battery 150 includes only the first heat-dissipatinglayer 180. In yet another embodiment, the battery 150 includes only thesecond heat-dissipating layer 182.

In another embodiment, the pouch 110 includes at least one layer of amaterial to provide resistance to bullets and/or shrapnel. In oneembodiment, the at least one layer of a material to provide resistanceto bullets and/or shrapnel is formed from an aramid (e.g., Kevlar®,Twaron®), an ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene fiber (UHMWPE)(e.g., Spectra®, Dyneema®), a polycarbonate (e.g., Lexan®), a carbonfiber composite material, ceramic, steel, and/or titanium. In oneembodiment, the pouch is sized to fit the battery 150 and the at leastone layer of a material to provide resistance to bullets and/orshrapnel. In another embodiment, the at least one layer of a material toprovide resistance to bullets and/or shrapnel is incorporated into thepouch 110 itself. In yet another embodiment, the at least one layer of amaterial to provide resistance to bullets and/or shrapnel is housed in abuilt-in pocket inside of the pouch 110 or permanently affixed (e.g.,laminated, stitched, adhered) to the pouch 110.

In a preferred embodiment, the at least one layer of a material toprovide resistance to bullets and/or shrapnel is on side 112 (i.e., theexterior facing side) of the pouch 110. Advantageously, this layerprotects the battery as well as the user. In one embodiment, the atleast one layer of a material to provide resistance to bullets and/orshrapnel has a slight curvature or contour for conforming to the batterycover 154. Additionally or alternatively, the at least one layer of amaterial to provide resistance to bullets and/or shrapnel is on side 114(i.e., the user facing side) of the pouch 110. In one embodiment, the atleast one layer of a material to provide resistance to bullets and/orshrapnel has a slight curvature or contour for conforming to the backplate 162. Advantageously, this layer provides additional protection tothe user.

In another embodiment, the battery 150 includes a material to provideresistance to bullets and/or shrapnel. In one embodiment, the materialto provide resistance to bullets and/or shrapnel is incorporated intothe battery cover 154 and/or back plate 162. In an alternativeembodiment, the material to provide resistance to bullets and/orshrapnel is between the battery cover 154 and the battery element 164.Advantageously, this layer protects the plurality of battery cellshoused in the battery 150 as well as the user. Additionally oralternatively, the material to provide resistance to bullets and/orshrapnel is between the battery element 164 and the back plate 162.Advantageously, this layer provides additional protection to the user.

As previously described, the pouch is preferably formed of a flexible,durable, and waterproof and/or water-resistant material. In oneembodiment, seams of the pouch are sewn with an anti-wick or non-wickingthread. In one example, the anti-wick or non-wicking polyester thread isa bonded polyester thread with wax coating (e.g., Dabond®). The waxcoating on the thread plugs stitch holes to waterproof seams.Alternatively, seams are joined together using ultrasonic welding.

In one embodiment, the pouch includes drainage holes to remove waterfrom the pouch. The drainage holes are formed of a mesh fabric.Alternatively, the drainage holes are formed using holes with grommetsin the waterproof and/or water-resistant material.

In another embodiment, the pouch incudes at least one desiccant toremove moisture from the pouch. In one embodiment, the at least onedesiccant includes silica. Alternatively, the at least one desiccantincludes activated charcoal, calcium sulfate, calcium chloride, and/ormolecular sieves (e.g., zeolites).

The portable battery pack includes leads having a connector portion. Aspreviously described, the connector portion can be any type or style ofconnector needed to mate to equipment to be used with the battery of theportable battery pack. In one embodiment, a cord connector is used toprotect a mated connection between the connector portion and theequipment. Examples of a cord connector include U.S. Pat. Nos.5,336,106, 5,505,634, and 5,772,462, each of which is incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety. Alternatively, a piece of heatshrink tubing is positioned to cover a mated connection between theconnector portion and the equipment. In a preferred embodiment, the heatshrink tubing is sized to cover at least 0.25 inch of cabling on eitherside of the mated connection. Heat is then applied using a heat gun orhair dryer to shrink the tubing and seal the mated connection.

In one embodiment, the portable battery pack includes at least oneprocessor. The at least one processor is preferably housed in thebattery. In another embodiment, the at least one processor isincorporated into control electronics used to determine the state ofcharge (SOC) of the portable battery pack. Examples of state of chargeindicators are disclosed in US Publication Nos. 20170269162 and20150198670, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

FIG. 19 illustrates a block diagram of one embodiment of the controlelectronics for a state of charge indicator incorporated into theportable battery pack. In this example, the control electronics 2430includes a voltage sensing circuit 2432, an analog-to-digital converter(ADC) 2434, a processor 2436, the indicator 2440, and optionally adriver 2442.

The voltage sensing circuit 2432 can be any standard voltage sensingcircuit, such as those found in volt meters. An input voltage VIN issupplied via the power BUS. In one embodiment, the voltage sensingcircuit 2432 is designed to sense any direct current (DC) voltage in therange of from about 0 volts DC to about 50 volts DC. In one embodiment,the voltage sensing circuit 2432 includes standard amplification orde-amplification functions for generating an analog voltage thatcorrelates to the amplitude of the input voltage VIN that is present.The ADC 2434 receives the analog voltage from the voltage sensingcircuit 2432 and performs a standard analog-to-digital conversion.

The processor 2436 manages the overall operations of the SOC indicator.The processor 2436 is any controller, microcontroller, or microprocessorthat is capable of processing program instructions.

The indicator 2440 is any visual, audible, or tactile mechanism forindicating the state of charge of the portable battery pack. A preferredembodiment of a visual indicator is at least one 5-bar liquid crystaldisplay (LCD), wherein five bars flashing or five bars indicatesgreatest charge and one bar or one bar flashing indicates least charge.Another example of a visual indicator is at least one seven-segmentnumeric LCD, wherein the number 5 flashing or the number 5 indicatesgreatest charge and the number 1 or the number 1 flashing indicatesleast charge. Alternatively, the at least one LCD displays the voltageof the portable battery pack as measured by the control electronics.

The at least one LCD is preferably covered with a transparent material.In a preferred embodiment, the cover is formed of a clear plastic (e.g.,poly(methyl methacrylate)). This provides an extra layer of protectionfor the at least one LCD, much like a screen protector provides an extralayer of protection for a smartphone. This increases the durability ofthe at least one LCD. In one embodiment, the at least one LCD is on thehousing of the battery. In a preferred embodiment, the housing of thebattery includes a waterproof sealant (e.g., silicone) around the cover.

Alternatively, a visual indicator is at least one LED. One preferredembodiment of a visual indicator is a set of light-emitting diodes(LEDs) (e.g., 5 LEDs), wherein five lit LEDs flashing or five lit LEDsindicates greatest charge and one lit LED or one lit LED flashingindicates least charge. In one embodiment, the LEDs are red, yellow,and/or green. In one example, two of the LEDs are green to indicate amostly full charge on the portable battery pack, two of the LEDs areyellow to indicate that charging will soon be required for the portablebattery pack, and one LED is red to indicate that the portable batterypack is almost drained. In a preferred embodiment, at least three bars,lights, or numbers are used to indicate the state of charge.

In one embodiment, the at least one LED is preferably covered with atransparent material. In a preferred embodiment, the cover is formed ofa clear plastic (e.g., poly(methyl methacrylate)). This provides anextra layer of protection for the at least one LED. This increases thedurability of the at least one LED. In one embodiment, the at least oneLCD is on the housing of the battery. In a preferred embodiment, thehousing of the battery includes a waterproof sealant (e.g., silicone)around the cover.

One example of an audible indicator is any sounds via an audio speaker,such as beeping sounds, wherein five beeps indicates greatest charge andone beep indicates least charge. Another example of an audible indicatoris vibration sounds via any vibration mechanism (e.g., vibration motorused in mobile phones), wherein five vibration sounds indicates greatestcharge and one vibration sound indicates least charge.

One example of a tactile indicator is any vibration mechanism (e.g.,vibration motor used in mobile phones), wherein five vibrations indicategreatest charge and one vibration indicate least charge. Another exampleof a tactile indicator is a set of pins that rise up and down to be feltin Braille-like fashion, wherein five raised pins indicates greatestcharge and one raised pin indicates least charge.

In one example, the processor 2436 is able to drive indicator 2440directly. In one embodiment, the processor 2436 is able to drivedirectly a 5-bar LCD or a seven-segment numeric LCD. In another example,however, the processor 2436 is not able to drive indicator 2440directly. In this case, the driver 2442 is provided, wherein the driver2442 is specific to the type of indicator 2440 used in the controlelectronics 2430.

Additionally, the processor 2436 includes internal programmablefunctions for programming the expected range of the input voltage VINand the correlation of the value the input voltage VIN to what isindicated at the indicator 2440. In other words, the discharge curve ofthe portable battery pack can be correlated to what is indicated atindicator 2440. In one embodiment, the processor 2436 is programmedbased on a percent discharged or on an absolute value present at theinput voltage VIN.

In one embodiment, the control electronics includes at least oneantenna, which allows the portable battery pack to send information(e.g., state of charge information) to at least one remote device (e.g.,smartphone, tablet, laptop computer, satellite phone) and/or receiveinformation (e.g., software updates, activation of kill switch) from atleast one remote device. The at least one antenna provides wirelesscommunication, standards-based or non-standards-based, by way of exampleand not limitation, radiofrequency, Bluetooth®, ZigBee®, Near FieldCommunication, or similar commercially used standards.

FIG. 20A illustrates a block diagram of an example of an SOC system 2500that includes a mobile application for use with a portable battery pack.The SOC system 2500 includes a battery 150 having a communicationsinterface 2510.

The communications interface 2510 is any wired and/or wirelesscommunication interface for connecting to a network and by whichinformation may be exchanged with other devices connected to thenetwork. Examples of wired communication interfaces include, but are notlimited to, USB ports, RS232 connectors, RJ45 connectors, Ethernet, andany combinations thereof. Examples of wireless communication interfacesinclude, but are not limited to, an Intranet connection, Internet, ISM,Bluetooth® technology, Wi-Fi®, WiMAX®, IEEE 802.11 technology, radiofrequency (RF), Near Field Communication (NFC), ZigBee®, Infrared DataAssociation (IrDA) compatible protocols, Local Area Networks (LAN), WideArea Networks (WAN), Shared Wireless Access Protocol (SWAP), anycombinations thereof, and other types of wireless networking protocols.

The communications interface 2510 is used to communicate, preferablywirelessly, with at least one remote device, such as but not limited to,a mobile phone 2130 or a tablet 2132. The mobile phone 2130 can be anymobile phone that (1) is capable of running mobile applications and (2)is capable of communicating with the portable battery pack. The mobilephone 2130 can be, for example, an Android™ phone, an Apple® iPhone®, ora Samsung® Galaxy® phone. Likewise, the tablet 2132 can be any tabletthat (1) is capable of running mobile applications and (2) is capable ofcommunicating with the portable battery pack. The tablet 2132 can be,for example, the 3G or 4G version of the Apple® iPad®.

Further, in SOC system 2500, the mobile phone 2130 and/or the tablet2132 is in communication with a cellular network 2516 and/or a network2514. The network 2514 can be any network for providing wired orwireless connection to the Internet, such as a local area network (LAN)or a wide area network (WAN).

An SOC mobile application 2512 is installed and running at the mobilephone 2130 and/or the tablet 2132. The SOC mobile application 2512 isimplemented according to the type (i.e., the operating system) of mobilephone 2130 and/or tablet 2132 on which it is running. The SOC mobileapplication 2512 is designed to receive SOC information from theportable battery pack. The SOC mobile application 2512 indicatesgraphically, audibly, and/or tactilely, the state of charge to the user(not shown).

FIG. 20B illustrates a block diagram of an example of SOC system 2520 ofthe portable battery pack that is capable of communicating with the SOCmobile application 2512. In this example, the SOC system 2520 includesan SOC portion 2522 and a communications portion 2524. The SOC portion2522 is substantially the same as the control electronics 2430 shown inFIG. 19. The communications portion 2524 handles the communication ofthe SOC information to the SOC mobile application 2512 at, for example,the mobile phone 2130 and/or the tablet 2132.

The communications portion 2524 includes a processor 2526 that iscommunicatively connected to the communications interface 2510. Thedigital output of the ADC 2434 of the SOC portion 2522, which is the SOCinformation, feeds an input to the processor 2526. The processor 2526can be any controller, microcontroller, or microprocessor that iscapable of processing program instructions. One or more batteries 2528provide power to the processor 2526 and the communications interface2510. The one or more batteries 2528 can be any standard cylindricalbattery, such as quadruple-A, triple-A, or double-A, or a battery fromthe family of button cell and coin cell batteries. A specific example ofa battery 2528 is the CR2032 coin cell 3-volt battery.

In SOC system 2520, the SOC portion 2522 and the communications portion2524 operate substantially independent of one another. Namely, thecommunications portion 2524 is powered separately from the SOC portion2522 so that the communications portion 2524 is not dependent on thepresence of the input voltage VIN at the SOC portion 2522 for power.Therefore, in this example, the communications portion 2524 is operableto transmit information to the SOC mobile application 2512 at any time.However, in order to conserve battery life, in one embodiment theprocessor 2526 is programmed to be in sleep mode when no voltage isdetected at the input voltage VIN at the SOC portion 2522 and to wake upwhen an input voltage VIN is detected. Alternatively, the processor 2526is programmed to periodically measure the SOC and send SOC informationto the SOC mobile application 2512 on the at least one remote deviceperiodically, such as every hour, regardless of the state of inputvoltage VIN.

FIG. 20C illustrates a block diagram of another example of controlelectronics 2530 of the portable battery pack that is capable ofcommunicating with the SOC mobile application 2512. In this example, theoperation of the communications interface 2510 is dependent on thepresence of a voltage at input voltage VIN. This is because, in controlelectronics 2530, the communications interface 2510 is powered from theoutput of voltage sensing circuit 2432. Further, the processor 2436provides the input (i.e., the SOC information) to the communicationsinterface 2510. A drawback of the control electronics 2530 of FIG. 20Cas compared with the SOC system 2520 of FIG. 20B, is that it is operableto transmit SOC information to the SOC mobile application 2512 only whenthe portable battery pack has a charge.

In summary and referring now to FIG. 1 through FIG. 20C, the presentinvention provides a portable battery pack including a wearable pouchand one or more batteries enclosed in the wearable pouch, wherein thepouch has a first side and an opposite second side, a closable openingthrough which the one or more batteries can be fitted into the pouch,one or more openings through which one or more leads from the one ormore batteries can be accessed, and wherein the pouch includes a pouchattachment ladder system (PALS) adapted to attach the pouch to aload-bearing platform.

In some embodiments, the pouch is formed of a flexible, durable, andwaterproof and/or water-resistant material. In particular embodiments,the material forming the pouch is selected from the group consisting ofpolyester, polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-coated polyester, vinyl-coatedpolyester, nylon, canvas, PVC-coated canvas, and polycotton canvas.

In yet more particular embodiments, the pouch has an exterior finishwith a camouflage pattern. In representative embodiments, the camouflagepattern is selected from the group consisting of universal camouflagepattern (UCP), MultiCam, Universal Camouflage Pattern-Delta (UCP-Delta),Airman Battle Uniform (ABU), Navy Working Uniform (NWU), MARPAT,Disruptive Overwhite Snow digital camouflage, and Tactical AssaultCamouflage (TACAM).

In some embodiments, the closable opening can be closed by a mechanismselected from the group consisting of a zipper, a hook and loop system,one or more buttons, one or more snaps, one or more ties, one or morebuckles, one or more clips, and one or more hooks.

In particular embodiments, the load-bearing platform is selected fromthe group consisting of a vest (e.g., bulletproof vest, Rhodesian vest),a backpack, body armor, a belt (e.g., tactical belt), a chair, a seat, aboat, a kayak, a canoe, a body of a user (e.g., back region, chestregion, abdominal region, arm, leg), a vehicle (e.g., truck, highmobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle (Humvee), all-terrain vehicle(ATV), sport utility vehicle (SUV)), a cargo rack, a helmet, or a hat.In certain embodiments, the portable battery pack is Modular LightweightLoad-carrying Equipment (MOLLE)-compatible. In yet more certainembodiments, the pouch attachment ladder system is formed of a pluralityof straps, a plurality of horizontal rows of webbing, a plurality ofslits, and combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the one or more batteries include a batteryelement, a battery cover, and a battery back plate. In particularembodiments, one or more of the battery element, battery cover, andbattery back plate have a curvature or contour adapted to conform to acurvature or contour of the load-bearing platform.

In further embodiments, the one or more batteries includes one or moreflexible omnidirectional leads, wherein each lead includes a connectorportion and a wiring portion, and wherein at least a portion of thewiring portion is encompassed by a flexible spring.

In certain embodiments, the battery has a length having a range fromabout 12 inches to about 8 inches, a width having a range from about 10inches to about 7 inches, and a thickness having a range from about 2inches to about 0.5 inches.

The above-mentioned examples are provided to serve the purpose ofclarifying the aspects of the invention, and it will be apparent to oneskilled in the art that they do not serve to limit the scope of theinvention. By way of example, the battery may include more than twoflexible omnidirectional leads. Also by way of example, the pouch mayhave different dimensions than those listed. By nature, this inventionis highly adjustable, customizable and adaptable. The above-mentionedexamples are just some of the many configurations that the mentionedcomponents can take on. All modifications and improvements have beendeleted herein for the sake of conciseness and readability but areproperly within the scope of the present invention.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A battery comprising: at least one batteryelement; a battery cover including one or more channels to accommodatewires of one or more flexible omnidirectional leads and a compartmentsized to receive the at least one battery element; a battery back plateattached to the battery cover; and the one or more flexibleomnidirectional leads including a connector portion and a wiringportion, wherein a flexible spring is provided around the wiringportion, wherein the wiring portion and the flexible spring are heldsecurely in the one or more channels in the battery cover such that aportion of the flexible spring is positioned inside the battery coverand a portion of the flexible spring is positioned outside the batterycover.
 2. The battery of claim 1, wherein one or more of the at leastone battery element, the battery cover, and the battery back plate has acurvature or a contour adapted to conform to a curvature or a contour ofa load-bearing platform.
 3. The battery of claim 1, wherein the batteryhas a length having a range from 8 inches to 12 inches, a width having arange from 7 inches to 10 inches, and a thickness having a range from0.5 inches to 2 inches.
 4. The battery of claim 1, wherein the batteryhas an output voltage from about 5 volts DC to about 90 volts DC at fromabout 0.25 amps to about 10 amps.
 5. The battery of claim 1, wherein thebattery cover and the battery back plate are comprised of plastic. 6.The battery of claim 1, further comprising a water barrier materialapplied to a mating surface of the battery back plate and the rim of thebattery cover.
 7. The battery of claim 6, wherein the water barriermaterial is silicone.
 8. The battery of claim 1, wherein the flexiblespring is comprised of steel.
 9. The battery of claim 1, wherein theflexible spring is between 0.25 inches to 1.5 inches long.
 10. Thebattery of claim 1, wherein the one or more flexible omnidirectionalleads include two or more flexible omnidirectional leads, wherein atleast one of the two or more flexible omnidirectional leads is operableto charge the battery and at least one different flexibleomnidirectional lead of the two or more flexible omnidirectional leadsis operable to simultaneously power at least one power consuming device.11. The battery of claim 1, wherein the battery includes at least onelayer of a material resistant to heat.
 12. The battery of claim 1,wherein the battery includes a material resistant to bullets and/orshrapnel.
 13. The portable battery pack of claim 1, wherein theconnector portion has an ingress protection (IP) rating of IPX6, IPX7,or IPX8.
 14. A battery comprising: at least one battery element; abattery cover including one or more channels to accommodate wires of oneor more flexible omnidirectional leads and a compartment sized toreceive the at least one battery element; a battery back plate attachedto the battery cover; and the one or more flexible omnidirectional leadsincluding a connector portion and a wiring portion, wherein a flexiblespring is provided around the wiring portion, wherein the wiring portionand the flexible spring are held securely in the one or more channels inthe battery cover such that a portion of the flexible spring ispositioned inside the battery cover and a portion of the flexible springis positioned outside the battery cover; wherein the battery isrechargeable.
 15. The battery of claim 14, wherein the one or moreflexible omnidirectional leads are operable to charge the one or morebatteries and supply power to one or more power consuming devices. 16.The battery of claim 14, wherein the one or more flexibleomnidirectional leads are operable to simultaneously charge at least oneof the one or more batteries and supply power to a power consumingdevice.
 17. The battery of claim 14, wherein the battery includes atleast one layer of a material resistant to heat.
 18. A batterycomprising: at least one battery element; a battery cover including oneor more channels to accommodate wires of one or more flexibleomnidirectional leads, a rectangular compartment sized to receive the atleast one battery element, and a top hat style rim around an entireperimeter of the battery cover; a battery back plate attached to the tophat style rim of the battery cover; and the one or more flexibleomnidirectional leads including a connector portion and a wiringportion, wherein a flexible spring is provided around the wiringportion, wherein the wiring portion and the flexible spring are heldsecurely in the one or more channels in the battery cover via a clampingmechanism such that a portion of the flexible spring is positionedinside the battery cover and a portion of the flexible spring ispositioned outside the battery cover.
 19. The battery of claim 18,wherein the battery includes a material resistant to heat.
 20. Thebattery of claim 18, wherein the one or more flexible omnidirectionalleads include two or more flexible omnidirectional leads, wherein atleast one of the two or more flexible omnidirectional leads is operableto charge the battery and at least one different flexibleomnidirectional lead of the two or more flexible omnidirectional leadsis operable to simultaneously power at least one power consuming device.